Improvement in overseaming attachments for sewing-machines



Y a. H. W. CURTIS; Oversearhing Attachment fof'Sewing-Maohines.

No; 220,9 4. Patented'Oct. 28, 1879.

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UNIED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE H. WV. CURTIS, OF BROOKLYN, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO WHEELER 8t \VILSONMANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONN.

IMPROVEMENT'IN OVERSE A MING ATTACHMENTS FOR SEWlNG-MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 220,964, dated October28, 1879; application filed March 1, 1879..

and 5 are back views of the switch-plate, showing the switch indifferent positions. Fig. dis a top view of the throat-plate, and Fig. 7is a cross-section of the supporting-plate, switchplate, andswitclntaken on the line mm of Fig. 5.'

My invention relates to that class of devices or attachments which areapplied to sewingmachines to adapt them to overseam the edges of fabricsor to stitch button-holes; audit has for its object the production of acheap and efficient attachment, which may be readily applied to many ofthe various sewing-machines employing a straight needle-bar with butlittle change, said attachment being adapted to perform the serviceabove stated in a complete and economical manner.

To this end my invention consists in the peculiar construction andcombination of a needle-bar, switch, switch-plate, springywandsupporting-plate, as hereinafter described, and specifically pointed outin the claim.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which like letters designatelike parts in all of the figures, A is the head, B the needle-bar, and Bthe presser-bar of a sewing-machine, which may be of any ordinary orsuitable construction. I have shown, however, in the drawings myimprovements applied to the Wheeler & Wilson No. Smaehine, to which itis specially adapted.

The necdle-bar B, which slides in suitable hearings in the head of themachine, 'is cut away on opposite sides at the point I), where itworksthrough the lower bearing, to admit of alateral movement being given tothe same during its vertical reciprocation. This reciprocation isimparted to the needlebar from the operating-cam, in the usual manner,by the needle-lever, connected at its forward end to the said needle-barby the collar E, rigidly secured thereto, said collar E being providedwith the pin F, which is adapted to operate the switch 0 andswitch-plate D, the latter being pivoted, near its lower end, to thesupporting-plate A, secured to the head of the machine.

As shown in the drawings, plate A is formed of a piece of sheet metal,having its upper end bent over at a right'angle to its'side, and beingprovided in such bent portion with an aperture, which is so formedrelative to the other portions that it may be passed over the needle-barand rigidly secured in place by means of the oil-cup screw at the upperbearing ofthe needle-bar. This supporting-plate A is provided with acurved slot, H,-through which and the slot H in the switch-plateprojects a pin, 0, fixed to the switch 0, which is pivoted to the upperend of the switch-plate D.

To the front side of the supporting-plate A is secured a spring, G. Thisspring Gr engages the pin 0, fixed to the switch'O, and serves to presssaid switch against the pin-F on collar E, and thus effect the lateralmovement of the needle-bar, and also to throw and retain the point ofsaid switch in such positions that the opposite sides thereof will beengaged by the pin F at each alternate upward movement of theneedle-bar.

The needle-bar B is, as before described, cut away or flattened onopposite sides at the point b, to admit of the lateral displacement ofthe same in its lower bearing. This displacement is, however, only for asufficient time to enable the point of the needle to enter the cloth;

after which, as the whole or rounded part of said needle-bar reaches thelower bearing, said needle-bar is returned to its original verticalposition, so that the needle will correctly engage the hook or shuttlebeneath the bed-plate of the machine.

In order to admit of the lateral movement of the needle-bar, theneedle-hole J in the throat-plate I is elongated, as shown in Fi 6, andthe hole in the presser-foot is also similarly formed.

The operation is as follows: Just before the needle enters the material,pin F on collar E strikes switch 0 on the right side, pressingneedle-bar B over to the ri ght, so that the thread is carried off thematerial and down through the button-hole, when the loop is formed andtaken up by the rotating hook, or its equivalent, as usual. Asneedle-bar B rises, pin F comes up on the left sidcof switch 0 andpushes switch-plate D over to the right, and spring G onsupporting'plate A throws the point of switch 0 to the left. Pin F oncollar E strikes switch 0 on the left side, pressing needle-bar 13 overto the left, so that the thread is laid over and upon the material thedistance of the lateral play of the needle before it enters thematerial. The pin F next ascends on the right side of switch 0, andpushes switch-plate D

